Greatest Track Ever: Grim Fandango's "Casino Calavera"

1UP editor Marty Sliva chimes in on his pick for the single best piece of video game music.

While my fellow editors eachhadamazing choices for the greatest track ever, they all lamented over the fact that the decision ended up becoming akin to a parent choosing their favorite child. That's why I'm glad to inform you that my choice was much simpler -- I decided to just go with the song that I want to be looped at my funeral.

Tim Schafer's Grim Fandango is a game that openly fawns over its inspirations. It's as much a love letter to Dia de los Muertos as it is to films like Casablanca and Touch of Evil, and the game's fantastic soundtrack is clearly a major piece of this celebration. The highlight of the score is "Casino Calavera," the tempest of a tune that plays at the start of the second act once Manny has acquired a gin joint of his own. This song, along with the rest of the Grim Fandango soundtrack, was composed by long-time Shafer collaborator Peter McConnell. As one of the inventors of the phenomenal iMuse system, McConnell understands what it takes to have a song capture an entire world via sound, and "Casino Calavera" does just that.

The song is an absolute whirlwind. The tempo and melody transitions each reflect the constant hustle and bustle of a casino. The bass line speaks of rolling dice, the shifting trombone reflects the shuffle of hards, and the tinny drum introduction brings to mind revolutions of a roulette wheel. That sentence may seem somewhere between a reach and flat-out hyperbole to anyone who hasn't played Grim Fandango, but those of us who've experienced the best that the adventure genre has to offer knows just how powerful and lasting Schafer's world really is.

Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay the song is that it can stand proudly alongside the likes of its inspirations without sounding out of place. You could easily see this number emanating from the instruments of Duke Ellington's band. Listening to the song has the ability to conjure images and objects that simply are not there; I suddenly find myself holding a stale cigarette, a glass of scotch, and the tingling electricity that stands alongside lady luck. "Casino Calavera" may only be a minute long, but I would gladly listen to it on replay for hours upon end without feeling an ounce of regret. It's a tune that evokes a world that I want to desperately to be a part of, and that's really all you can really ask from a piece of music.